HARRISBURG – Rep. Gene DiGirolamo (R-Bucks) today announced he plans to introduce legislation to assist counties with funding new voting machines and extend the amount of time voters have to submit absentee ballots.

“Our counties are in the midst of replacing voting machines,” DiGirolamo said. “They are working diligently, within a short time frame, to make the right choices for their respective voters. This is a costly endeavor, and we must take steps to provide needed funding. In addition, we need to remove barriers that prevent people from exercising their right to vote.”

DiGirolamo’s bill would float up to $90 million in state bonds to reimburse counties for the cost of replacement voting machines. This would amount to up to 60% of what counties are expected to pay through the state’s current decertification efforts. In addition, the bill would extend the amount of time mailed absentee ballots have to arrive in the county election office by allowing ballots postmarked by the Friday before the election to arrive by 5 p.m. on the Tuesday after Election Day.

DiGirolamo expects to introduce the legislation after allowing his colleagues to review a co-sponsorship memo.